Madrid FP3: McLaren Fight Back as Antonelli Tops Final Practice
Antonelli Is Fastest Again!
Let's start with the man at the top. Kimi Antonelli — P1. Antonelli set a 1:32.797 to finish FP3 fastest. After also topping FP2, I think we have to consider Kimi one of the serious favourites for pole position. Mercedes have looked strong throughout the Madrid weekend, and Antonelli seems incredibly comfortable around Madring but the gap behind him is tiny and that's where things get interesting.
Leclerc Is Right There
Charles Leclerc finished P2, just 0.166 seconds behind Antonelli. That's nothing! Ferrari have shown some really promising pace around Madrid, and Leclerc has put himself right into the pole position conversation. One tiny mistake in Q3 could completely change the order but then we get to McLaren…and this is what I wanted to see!
The Papaya Boys Are Back!
Oscar Piastri — P3.
Lando Norris — P4.
YES! After a difficult Friday, McLaren have made a huge step forward. Oscar finished just 0.189 seconds away from Antonelli. Lando was only 0.236 seconds away. That means Antonelli, Leclerc, Piastri and Norris were separated by less than a quarter of a second. Now we're talking! McLaren are officially back in the fight.
Oscar Piastri — P3
Oscar's progression throughout the weekend has been really encouraging.
FP1 — P8
FP2 — P7
FP3 — P3 🧡
That's a massive step forward. Oscar has got quicker with every session, and now he's properly mixing it with the leaders. He's less than two tenths away from P1. After Friday, I wanted to see Oscar break into the top five. He's done even better. Going into qualifying, I think Oscar has to be considered a genuine threat for the front two rows. Could he even challenge for pole? At this point…Why not?
Lando Norris — P4
I've also got to give Lando a lot of credit. Remember, he missed FP2 because of the gearbox change. At a brand-new circuit, losing an entire practice session could've put him at a huge disadvantage. Instead, Lando came back in FP3 and finished P4. And he was only 0.236 seconds away from the fastest time. That's exactly the recovery he needed. He got the laps in. He got himself comfortable again and most importantly, he showed that he's still capable of fighting at the front. After the frustration of FP2, this was a much better session.
McLaren Are Back in the Pole Fight
After FP2, I wasn't completely convinced McLaren had enough to challenge Mercedes for pole. After FP3? They absolutely can. The top four looked like this:
P1 — Kimi Antonelli
P2 — Charles Leclerc
P3 — Oscar Piastri 🧡
P4 — Lando Norris 🧡
And just 0.236 seconds separated all four drivers. That makes qualifying incredibly difficult to predict. Antonelli might still be the favourite but Leclerc, Oscar and Lando are close enough that one brilliant lap could completely change everything.
Never Rule Out Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen finished P5 and as always… Never rule out Max. He's slightly further away from Antonelli than the top four, but we've seen Max find performance when qualifying arrives plenty of times before. If Red Bull can make a few improvements before Q1, he could absolutely get himself involved. We could potentially have Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull fighting at the front. Exactly what we want!
George Russell — P6
George Russell finished the session in P6. That's interesting considering he topped FP1 but I'm definitely not writing George off. We've already seen that Mercedes have the pace around this circuit. Antonelli has proved that again in FP3. Russell has also already shown that he can be quick around Madring. When qualifying begins, I still expect him to be involved.
Hamilton Crashes
One of the biggest moments of FP3 came when Lewis Hamilton crashed at the final corner. Hamilton locked up and ended up in the barriers, bringing out the red flag. Thankfully, Lewis was okay, but Ferrari were left with work to do before qualifying. Despite his limited running, Hamilton still finished P9. That suggests there could be more performance in that Ferrari. The big question is whether Lewis can bounce back when qualifying begins.
Bearman Crashes Too!
And Hamilton wasn't the only driver to find the barriers. Ollie Bearman crashed at Turn 11, bringing out another red flag towards the end of FP3. If we've learned anything from these incidents, it's that Madring can punish mistakes. The walls are close. The speeds are high and when the drivers start pushing everything to the limit in qualifying, there isn't much room for error. That could make Q1, Q2 and Q3 very interesting.
FP3 Top 10
Here's how the top ten finished:
P1 — Kimi Antonelli
P2 — Charles Leclerc
P3 — Oscar Piastri 🧡
P4 — Lando Norris 🧡
P5 — Max Verstappen
P6 — George Russell
P7 — Liam Lawson
P8 — Nico Hülkenberg
P9 — Lewis Hamilton
P10 — Gabriel Bortoleto
That top six in particular could give us an amazing battle for pole.
Liam Lawson Impresses
A quick mention for Liam Lawson as well. P7 in FP3 is a really solid result. He's ahead of Hülkenberg, Hamilton and Bortoleto. If he can carry that pace into qualifying, he could be one of the drivers to watch in the fight for Q3.
Tough Session for the Spanish Drivers
Unfortunately, it wasn't the FP3 the home crowd would've wanted.
Fernando Alonso — P17
Carlos Sainz — P18
Both Spanish drivers have plenty of work to do before qualifying. Hopefully they can find something, because seeing Alonso and Sainz fighting their way up the grid in front of the Madrid crowd would be brilliant.
Have My Qualifying Predictions Changed?
Yes. Definitely. After FP2, I was starting to get worried about McLaren. Oscar had finished P7. Lando hadn't completed a lap. Mercedes looked like they had the advantage. FP3 has changed that. Oscar is now P3. Lando is P4 and both are within roughly two tenths of Antonelli. The Papaya boys are back in the conversation.
Who Gets Pole?
If I had to choose right now, I'm still going with: Kimi Antonelli. He's been consistently quick and has topped both FP2 and FP3 but I'm much less confident about that prediction now. Leclerc is right there. Oscar is right there. Lando is right there. Max is lurking and Russell shouldn't be ignored either. Qualifying could come down to one absolutely perfect lap.
Papaya Boys Verdict
For McLaren, this was exactly what they needed.
Oscar Piastri — P3 🧡
Lando Norris — P4 🧡
Oscar has made huge progress throughout the weekend. Lando has bounced back brilliantly after missing FP2 and McLaren have gone from looking slightly off the pace on Friday to potentially challenging for pole position. Now comes the important part. Can they deliver when it counts?
On the Pitwall Verdict
What a difference one session can make. Antonelli still looks incredibly quick. Leclerc has Ferrari right in the fight. The Papaya boys have come alive. Verstappen is lurking. Russell shouldn't be forgotten and after multiple crashes in FP3, we know just how punishing this Madrid circuit can be. Qualifying could be absolute chaos. So, who are you backing for pole? Antonelli? Leclerc? Piastri? Norris? Verstappen? Russell? and where do you think the Papaya boys will qualify? Let me know your predictions! 🏁
On the Pitwall
Lights out. More to talk about.
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